Memorial
Cleo F. Edwards, Memorial services at 11:00 AM on Saturday at First Lutheran Church. Rev. Steve Knudson will officiate. Inurnment with military rites at the Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. Friends may call at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home from 5 to 7:30 PM on Friday.
Cleo F. Edwards, C.L.U., ChFC, age 93, completed an extraordinary lifetime of professional and personal service on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. He is survived by Charlotte, his wife and life partner of 72 years, son Douglas (Linda) Edwards of Cedar Rapids, daughter Charise Edwards (Richard) Schwarm of Lake Mills. He is also survived by his grandchildren Andrea Edwards, Hope Edwards (Peter) Konrad, and great granddaughter Vivien all of Cedar Rapids and grandsons Richard Grant Schwarm of Cedar Rapids and Edward Schwarm of Clive.
This humble gentleman who proudly considered himself a “hillbilly”, was born to a poor, Missouri farm hand’s family, the eldest of eight children. Growing up during the heart of the great depression and, having to support the family at age 16 when his father died, Cleo first served in the Civilian Conservation Corps helping to develop Mt. Rainer National Park and later, as a soldier during World War Two. In between, a blind date setup by his future brother-in-law and a mutual love of dancing developed into love and marriage with Charlotte (Johnson) Edwards.
After being accepted as a probationary student, Cleo graduated with a BS from the University of Iowa. With persistent and dedicated assistance of Charlotte, he started his life insurance company training, where in a class of 150 he was voted least likely to succeed. Through unwavering spousal support, absolute honesty, hard work, relentless study and a burning passion to help his clients, Cleo became one of the top life insurance agents in the United States, ultimately leading to his induction into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame, one of very few actual life insurance agents to be so honored.
Cleo was a national leader in the life insurance industry, holding numerous national offices and receiving too many awards to mention here. For more than 50 years, Cleo was a life and qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table, ultimately becoming one of its top five agents in the world in longevity. He was a nationally recognized life insurance speaker, having twice presented at the Million Dollar Round Table and speaking in most U.S. States plus multiple countries during his travels to 59 different nations.
More important to Cleo was his service as a very active board member or chairman of multiple, local not-for-profit organizations, such the United Good Neighbors (forerunner of The United Way), The Boy Scouts, The Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation and The St. Luke’s Foundation. In addition to serving these existing organizations, he helped found two, separate couples social organizations, was a very active member of First Lutheran Church, was a founding organizer of the Linn Eagles and, for more than 40 years, helped to counsel, support and elect a great many local, state and national political representatives.
Cleo’s greatest professional labor of love and more valuable to him than all the awards and applause was the pure joy he achieved through service to his clients; helping them provide financial support for their families, grow their businesses and achieve their dreams. To him, playing even a small, confidential role in the success of others made each and every one of those 16 hour days worthwhile. They kept him passionate about life and hopeful for all of our futures.
Above all, Cleo was a strong believer in God, Family and Country. These were his foundation, his family was his greatest Joy in his life.
An optimist by choice, his positive attitude will continue to inspire many, well into the future. A memorial fund has been established.